Electromagnetic motor



Dec. 14, 1965 R. STEINER 3,223,861

ELECTROMAGNETIC MOTOR Filed Jan. 24, 1963 INVENTOR. RUDOLF STEINER United States Patent 3,223,861 ELECTROMAGNETIC MOTOR Rudolf Steiner, 17215 Valeria St., Van Nuys, Calif. Filed Jan. 24, 1963, Ser. No. 253,692 1 Claim. (Cl. 310-21) The subject of this invention is an electromagnetic motor derived from the improved electrical coil and magnetic core arrangement presented in my U.S. Patent No. 3,020,425, constituting a significant improvement over the latter in various respects and permitting its use for specific, formerly not possible applications.

Considerable engineering development conducted on the originally conceived devices and tests performed concurrently with it resulted in a further improvement employing but one single magnetically conductive, physically resilient lamination for the magnetic core structure of the subject electromagnetic motor. This construction ensues in a reduction of assembly parts, labor and cost, combined with an increase of the functional dependability of the device. The operation of the object of this invention conforms in all other respects with the principles set forth in the referenced patent grant thusly obviating its recitation in this specification.

An electromagnetic motor comprising the characteristics presented herein may lend itself to any application requiring the conversion from electrical to mechanical energy like the various devices, covered in US Patent No. 3,020,425, were capable of accomplishing, however, at less complexity. In addition to the foregoing, the creation of specific audible effects becomes now possible for application as so-called buzzers. Another end use, closely related with the presented teachings is a particularly simplified electromagnetic relay.

The generic device and three possible forms thereof are illustrated in the accompanying drawing. FIG. 1 portrays, schematically, in front elevation and cross section, the basic parts arrangement in accordance with this invention; FIG. 2 shows the buzzer and the motor, respectively, in front elevation and cross section; FIG. 3 presents an electromagnetic relay in front elevation and cross section and FIG. 4 is a plan view of this relay variety, however, suitable also for use as a plan view reference for the buzzer construction shown in FIG, 2, and that of the motor, selectively.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like numerals designate like parts, and particularly to FIG. 1, the generic electromagnetic motor is shown, schematically and in its de-energized position, including a single, resilient, magnetically conductive member having its faces 12 located opposite to each other within the barrel 14 of the coil bobbin 16, the latter having elongated brackets 11 for the support of member 10. An appropriate number of magnet wire turns 18 occupies the winding space of the coil bobbin 16, terminating in the lugs 20 for connection of the magnet coil 21 with an electric power source. Upon the completion of the electric circuit, the faces l2 are attracted in the effective manner, described in the referenced specification, to become separated upon the opening of said circuit by virtue of the mechanical spring action inherent with the magnetically conductive member 10.

The application of the subject principle for a buzzer is illustrated in FIG. 2, indicating readily the magnetically conductive member 10 and the coil bobbin 16, both mounted on a base 22 of electrically insulating material in the mutual relation shown in FIG. 1. Like in the foregoing, the coil bobbin 16 is equipped with the magnet wire turns 18 and the resulting magnet coil is finished with the lugs 20. To enhance the effectiveness of the magnetic circuit, it became advisable to increase its area at the faces. This was accomplished through the forming of extremities 24, each substantially in a right angle with respect to its former face position. Mounting holes 26 are formed in the base 22. To further reduce the number of assembly parts and the manufacturing cost of the product, both the coil bobbin 16 and the magnetically conductive member 10 were mounted on the base by means of an adhesive imparting a permanent bond among the respective parts. To compensate for various parts levels, the member 10 is lodged within the groove 28 which is formed in one surface 30 of the base 22, whereas the coil bobbin 16 is positioned upon said surface 30 proper. If the lugs 20 are connected across an alternating-current power source, the extremities 24 of the magnetically conductive member 10 will be attracted and released, respectively, with a frequency of twice the impressed system frequency, thusly producing a hum within the practical audio spectrum for each commercial altermating-current system frequency. The pitch of the created sound can be altered through the employment of cores having various lengths. This will allow for the provision of a family of signals, each standing for a specific message, alarm or indication. The acoustic output of the buzzer can be amplified through its installation upon a suitable support of adequate material. Devices of this kind are used in electrical and electronic equipment of both the civilian and military type, for industrial and residential applications, for educational, training and amusement devices as well as as in combination with various crafts and hobbies.

The operation of the subject electromagnetic motor as a motor proper is presented, likewise, in FIG. 2, through the mounting of a means 32 for the control of supplementary parts on the movable leg of the magnetically conductive member 10, for example, through an adhesive 33. A means 32 for the control of supplementary parts may be of any suitable, physically rigid material and can be physically connected to a mechanical device of practically any denomination requiring reciprocating motion for its operation. If the coil turns 18 are energized with alternating-current power across the lugs 20, a vibratory motion results, at a frequency of twice the system frequency, to cease only upon the opening of the electric supply circuit. If the coil turns 18 are energized with direct-current power, one actuator stroke becomes available upon circuit closing, whereas another stroke in the opposite direction results upon circuit opening. The applications for either type of movement are too numerous to mention; several representative examples may be found in the referenced Patent No. 3,020,425.

A typical electromagnetic relay encompassing the principle of the subject invention is illustrated in FIG. 3 and, when viewed from top, in FIG. 4. All respective elements are found in this construction and mounted, in this example, on a L-sl1aped base 34 of electrically insulating material. Contact blades 36 of electrically conductive, resilient material are mounted on the leg 38 of base 34 and biased against the actuator 32 so as to establish contact with it when in its de-energized position as shown in FIG. 3. Conversely, another contact blade 40, not visible in FIG. 4, is mounted on the leg 38 of the base 34 spaced from each corresponding blade 36 but adjacent to it so as to become engaged with the means 32 for the control of, in this embodiment, electrical contacts and biased against it upon the energizing of the coil turns 18 and closing of the magnetically conductive member 10. If a part 32 of electrically conductive material is used, a so-called double-break contact arrangement may be had, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, requiring no movable stranded-wire leads or other objectionable auxiliary parts for the relay operation. The contact blades 36 and 40 may be mounted onv the leg 38 of base 34 with respect to the part 32 in such a manner that only one contact blade variety 36, or 40, is biased against said actuator 32 so as to be moved toward the other contact blade variety for the opening and closing of circuits, selectively. If the bases 22 and 34 are made of electrically nonconductive material, as shown, the versatility of the described devices increases considerably. The contacts 36 and 40 are mounted on leg 38 so as to extend beyond it. The thusly resulting prongs 42 and 44, respectively, serve as wiring terminals. They may be formed in any suitable manner and in any angular relationship with respect to each other to facilitate the use of assembly tools. Or, they may be spaced so as to become compatible with standardized dimensions of connectors, printed-circuit boards and other advanced electrical wiring means. The lugs 24) may, likewise, be arranged and enlarged so as to extend beyond the leg 38 to join any desired terminal configuration. It is apparent that the described relay principles, constructions and operations are possible for the energization by and the control of direct-current and alternating-current, respectively.

It is understood that the design, construction and operation of all, the generic electromagnetic motor and the three specific, yet interconnected devices employing the subject electromagnetic motor, were shown and described, respectively, in one but illustrative embodiment each. It is further understood that said electromagnetic motor and the herein disclosed three operational species thereof may be equipped with auxiliary features, such as with partly or wholly magnetically polarized portions to respond to or to cause specific effects. It is also obvious that the described electromagnetic motor and the presented three typical functional species shall not be construed to constitute operative limitations for the application of said electromagnetic motor. Numerous modifications with regard to design, construction and end use appear to be feasible without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed is:

An electromagnetically actuated device comprising: a

base having at least one mounting hole; a magnet coil having lugs mounted on said base; a single, continuous, magnetically conductive member having ends; said single, continuous, magnetically conductive member formed of resilient material to a shape so as to position said ends face to face with respect to each other across one single, operational air gap; said so formed single, continuous, magnetically conductive member being biased, by virtue of its inherent resilience, against a magnetizing force generated by said magnet coil, when energized, mounted on one portion of said base so as to position said single, operational air gap within the interior of said magnet coil, leaving its movable portion free to reciprocate to- Ward and away from said mounted portion; a means for the control of electrical contacts mounted on the movable portion of said single, continuous, magnetically conductive member; contact leaves formed from an electrically conductive, resilient material mounted in groups on said base; one said group of said contact leaves being biased toward said means for the control of electric contacts when in the position corresponding to said magnet coil when de-energized; another said group of said contact leaves being biased toward said means for the control of electric contacts when in the position corresponding to said magnet coil when energized, efiecting the closing and opening and transfer, respectively, of electric circuits connected selectively to said contact leaves.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,396,337 11/1921 McDonald 310-21 2,719,356 10/1955 Ritter 31029 3,020,425 2/ 1962 Steiner 31020 FOREIGN PATENTS 112,717 3/ 1941 Australia. 717,387 2/1942 Germany.

ORIS L. RADER, Primary Examiner.

MILTON O. HIRSHFIELD, Examiner. 

